1. Favoritism – Visitor Survey
Back in the 1980’s, a man visited 18 different churches of differing beliefs to find out what churches are really like. The man said that he sat near the front. After each service he walked slowly to the rear; then returned to the front; and then back to the foyer using another aisle. He said that he always smiled and dressed neatly. He would ask a member to direct him to some place in the building – the fellowship hall; library; preacher’s office, etc. He always stayed for coffee if it was served.
The man developed a scale to measure churches’ friendliness:
10 points for a smile from a worshiper
10 points for a greeting from someone nearby
100 points for an exchange of names
200 points for an invitation to return
1000 points for an introduction to another worshiper
2000 points for an invitation to meet the preacher
11 of the 18 churches he visited scored LESS THAN 100 points! 5 scored LESS THAN 20!
His conclusion – “The doctrine may be biblical. The singing inspirational, the sermon, uplifting; but when a visitor finds that no one cares whether he is there or not, he is not likely to come back.”
2. James 2.1-13
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
3. Passing judgments abounds – it may be something inconsequential or something significant
ILL.- Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke.
Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894. Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955. Which do you like best: Coke or Pepsi? Does it really matter in the long run?
ILL.- The Model T Ford, brought out in 1908, had sales of 10,607 the first year. In four years, sales jumped to 168,304, and in four more, to 730,041. In 1919, Ford bought out the minority stockholders for nearly $106 million. They had invested $33,100.
During Model T’s lifetime, 1908-1927, production added up to 15,458,781 cars—more than the total for all other cars for those years. It has been called the “most widely-used vehicle in human history.”
Which automobile company do you prefer: GM or Ford? Does it really matter in the long run?
4. We know better when it comes to matters of importance!
I. Judging by Appearances: The Issues (2.1-7)
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
A. Replacing God with Self
1. Wrong standard – constantly changing
In the 70’s Public school teachers polled.
1. Talking
2. Chewing Gum
3. Making Noise
4. Running In The Halls
5. Getting Out Of Place In Line
6. Wearing Improper Clothing
7. Not Putting Paper In The Waste Basket
2. Early nineties:
1. Drug Abuse
2. Alcohol Abuse
3. Pregnancy
4. Suicide
5. Rape
6. Assault
7. Arson
Omega-Letter, June, 1991
Now mass murder is a major problem in our public schools.
Job 38.1-7
2. Paradox – poor are rich (in faith)
a. Use of “Synagogue” – assembly
b. How to treat the rich/poor coming in?
A plainly dressed man who entered a church in the Netherlands took a seat near the front. A few minutes later a woman walked down the aisle, saw the stranger in the place she always sat, and curtly asked him to leave. He quietly got up and moved to a section reserved for the poor. When the meeting was over, a friend of the woman asked her if she knew the man she had ordered out of her seat. “No,” she replied. Her friend then informed her, “The man you ordered out of your seat was King Oscar of Sweden! He is here visiting the Queen.” -- Our Daily Bread, December 3, 1993
3. The Challenge – See PEOPLE – John 4.35
a. NOT “prospects”
b. NOT “problems”
B. Portraying the Inside Out – 2.4
4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
1. Evil Hearts
2. Foolish Behavior – 2.6-7
But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
C. Discriminates Those Loved by God – 2.5
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
II. Judging by Appearances: The Admonitions (8-11)
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
A. Prejudicial Behavior is SIN (8-9)
1. Not a Mistake; Not a Bad Idea;
2. Violation of Royal Law of Love
Shortly after Queen Victoria came to the throne of England, Lord Chamberlain presented to her several documents that required her signature. Among them was a paper pertaining to a man who had committed a crime, and who had been sentenced to death. The queen’s signature was required for his execution to be carried out.
“And must I become a party to his death?” asked the eighteen-year-old queen. “I fear it is so, unless Your Majesty desires to exercise her royal prerogative of mercy!” To her delight, she was informed that she had the power to pardon the condemned man.
“As an expression of the spirit in which I desire to rule, I will exercise my royal prerogative!” she said. She wrote the word, “pardoned” on the document and the prisoner was set free.
B. Prejudicial Behavior Leads to Violating the Whole Law
Some laws in Arkansas that are apparently technically on the books today:
In Fayetteville:
- Dogs may not bark after 6 PM.
- It is illegal to kill "any living creature".
- It is unlawful to walk one’s cow down Main Street after 1:00 PM on Sunday.
In Little Rock:
- No person shall sound the horn on a vehicle at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9:00 P.M. -Little Rock City Code Sec. 18-54
True or not, the law must be observed! The important thing is that the law of all laws, THE ROYAL LAW, must be observed. (Leviticus 19.18)
1. Can live blamelessly – Elizabeth and Zechariah – Luke 1.6
And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
2. All Sin (Romans 3.23)
3. Good News – God will take care of it through Yeshua (Jesus)
4. Compels us to live faithfully – if we are intolerant of others, based on appearances, means we don’t care about the things God cares about and will violate his words;
C. Prejudicial Behavior is as Serious as “Big Sins”
1. We have developed a “pecking order” of sins
2. Yeshua’s view – Matthew 5.19
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
III. Judging by Appearances: The Incentives to Avoid (2.12)
A. Judgment is Coming – 2 Thessalonians 1.7-8
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
B. We Get What We Give
The Captain called the Sergeant in. "Sarge, I just got a telegram that Private Jones’ mother died yesterday. Better go tell him and send him in to see me."
So the Sergeant calls for his morning formation and lines up all the troops. "Listen up, men," says the Sergeant. "Johnson, report to the mess hall for KP. Smith, report to Personnel to sign some papers. The rest of you men report to the Motor Pool for maintenance.” “Oh, by the way, Jones, your mother died, report to the commander."
Later that day the Captain called the Sergeant into his office. "Hey, Sarge, that was a pretty cold way to inform Jones his mother died. Couldn’t you be a bit more tactful, next time?" "Yes, sir," answered the Sarge.
A few months later, the Captain called the Sergeant in again with, "Sarge, I just got a telegram that Private McGrath’s mother died. You’d better go tell him and send him in to see me. This time, be more tactful." So the Sergeant calls for his morning formation. "Ok, men, fall in and listen up." "Everybody with a mother, take two steps forward." "Not so fast, McGrath!"
As we know, that’s not a good way to demonstrate mercy. How do we do it then? We weigh our words before we speak. And we show that we care! That’s mercy in action.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5.7
“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 7.1-2
C. An Overriding Principle of Purpose – to be Like God (and Our Rabbi)
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Acts 10.34-35
There’s a funny story about a Chicago bank that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young Bostonian being considered for employment. The Boston investment house could not say enough about the young man. His father, they wrote, was a Cabot; his mother was a Lowed. Further back was a happy blend of Saltonstalls, Peabodys, and other of Boston’s first families. His recommendation was given without hesitation. Several days later, the Chicago bank sent a note saying the information supplied was altogether inadequate. It read: “We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work.” Neither is God a respecter of persons but accepts those from every walk of life.
Conclusion:
Behind the line in World War I, rest homes were operated which were designed to serve as places of fellowship for all soldiers – whether officers or enlisted men. Over the entrance of such houses were posted these words: “Abandon all rank, ye who enter here.” So must it be in the church.
• Remove your rank
• Put on your towel – wash the feet of your fellow travelers!
